Fallen Angel Redeemed
by tocourtdisaster
Summary: Videl visits Gohan in the middle of the night, after a traumatic event. Passive mention of rape, but nothing graphic. Please R/R. (Chapter 2)
1. Wash Away Those Years

**Disclaimer:** I do not own DB/Z/GT or any of the characters. I am just borrowing them. I'll return them pretty much the same I way they were before. I am making no money off of this. If I was, do you think I would be posting it _**here**_? Not likely... Oh, yeah, I don't own the song either. Creed does.  
  
**Author's Notes:** The idea for this story came from my love of G(h)/V and the song. I know not everyone will like this, but instead of flaming, try constructive criticism. That way, I can fix things, and, maybe, post a revised version. I do try to make my audience happy.  
  
~*~  
_Tap tap tap  
Tap tap tap  
  
_Son Gohan had no idea how long the tapping had been going on, but he awoke to the sound of it. He opened his eyes and looked over to his window, where the noise was coming from. With his Saiyajin sense of sight, hi spotted Videl, hovering in the rain, tapping on his window.   
  
Gohan quickly got out of bed and ran to the window to let Videl in, snapping on the light on his desk as he passed it. He glanced at his clock, the large red numbers reading 2:37 A.M.  
  
_**She came calling  
One early morning   
She showed her crown of thorns  
  
**_Gohan unlatched his window and helped Videl to step through. She seemed dazed, her eyes glazed. Her clothes were disheveled and dripping wet. She was soaked to the bone. Gohan led Videl to his bed and sat her down on its edge.  
  
"Wait here while I got get you a towel and something dry to change into, okay?" Gohan more stated than asked. Videl gave him no indication that she had heard him.  
  
The demi-Saiyajin went to the linen closet at the end of the hall and grabbed a large, fluffy towel. He then snuck into his mother's room, and, quietly as he could, borrowed a pair of pajamas from her dresser drawer for Videl to change into. He snuck back out of Chi Chi's room and moved quickly back to his room.  
  
Gohan entered his room and noticed that Videl hadn't moved an inch. She was exactly as he had left her. Gohan sat down next to the young woman and offered her the towel and change of clothes. She didn't respond. Gohan sighed. So he'd have to do this the hard way, then.  
  
"Videl, I'm going to dry you off and get you into some dry clothes," he told her, blushing a brilliant shade of pink. "Here, let me get these wet clothes off of you first." He reached to take off her shirt...  
  
"**NO!!**"   
  
Videl's outburst caught Gohan unawares, and he leapt back in surprise. Videl, too, had jumped up, and was shaking with... rage?... anger?... fear? Yes, it was fear. Videl was suddenly, deathly afraid of Gohan.  
  
"Videl, what's wrong?" Gohan asked quietly, putting his hands on her shoulders. Videl visibly flinched away from his touch. She closed her eyes, and expression of almost pain clearly written on her face.  
  
"Let me get changed and I'll tell you," she said so quietly that Gohan almost couldn't hear her, even with his Saiyajin senses.  
  
"You can change here," Gohan offered. "I'll go make us some tea. You can come on down when you're ready." He turned and started toward his door.  
  
"Thank you, Gohan," Videl told him quietly. He turned back and smiled at her before leaving and shutting the door behind him.  
  
Five minutes later, Gohan was pouring two steaming cups of tea when he heard Videl enter the kitchen. He picked up the mugs, carried them over to the table, and set one down in front of Videl.   
  
Videl's eyes weren't vacant anymore, but they didn't have their usual spark of vibrant life in them. Chi Chi's pajamas were a size or two too large for the young woman. The pants were very baggy, and pooled at her feet. Videl had obviously found some safety pins somewhere because she had pinned the pants at the waist so they wouldn't fall off. Instead of the matching top, Videl had helped herself to one of Gohan's sweatshirts. It was so large on her that the sleeves hung past her hands and it fell almost to her knees.   
  
Gohan sat down at the table, facing Videl. After a moment, she finally moved to sit across from Gohan. She put both of her hands around her mug, holding it so tight that her knuckles turned white.  
  
"Videl, what's wrong?" Gohan asked her again.  
  
For the first time since she had shown up, Videl raised her eyes to Gohan's. "It's terrible," she stated almost inaudibly.  
  
_**She whispered softly  
To tell a story  
About how she had been wronged  
  
**_"I'm here to listen," Gohan told her. He reached across the table and pried her hands away from her mug. He gently held her hands in his own. Videl stared at their entwined fingers.  
  
"Papa's out of town," Videl told him quietly. "He's out touring the world. He's not supposed to get home for another month. He wasn't there to protect me.  
  
"Alisa made me my supper like normal, but Billings, the butler, brought it to me in the dining room. I thought that was odd because he's never done that before." Videl had stared at her hands while telling her story, but now she looked up at Gohan. "He put something in my food."  
  
"Usually, I train a little after dinner before going to bed. But I was so tired, I just wanted to go to bed. Billings helped me up the stairs and to my room. Alisa helped me change and put me to bed. Billings came back in and told Alisa that she and the rest of the staff had the rest of the night off to do what they wanted. That was at 8:30. I must have fell asleep, because the next thing I knew, it was 1:30." Videl took and shuddering breath. "And I couldn't move."  
  
_**As she lay lifeless  
He stole her innocence  
And this is how she carried on.  
  
**_Gohan squeezed Videl hands, letting her know that he was listening. He knew where this was going, but Videl needed to say it. She needed to get it out of her system.  
  
"I could move my eyes, but that was it," Videl continued, now crying. "I looked everywhere I could without moving my head. Billings was tying my left wrist to my bedpost." Videl closed her eyes, but the tears still fell. She didn't say anything for what seemed like hours to Gohan.  
  
"You don't have to go on if you don't want to," Gohan told her. "I know what happened. Even though he did this to you, I still care for you."  
  
"I was weak!" Videl exclaimed, pulling away from Gohan. She got out of her chair, and started pacing like a caged animal. "If I had been stronger, none of this would have happened! I was weak." She fell to her knees as sobs wracked her body. Gohan rushed to catch her as she fell towards the floor.  
  
Gohan held Videl close, smoothing down her hair. "Videl, this had nothing to do with strength. This had to do with a sick man. He drugged you to get what he wanted. Even if you were a Super Saiyajin, I doubt it would have helped."  
  
After a few minutes, Videl's sob's quieted into the occasional sniffle and hiccup. She mumbled something into Gohan's chest.  
  
"What was that?" Gohan asked, pulling Videl away from his chest so her could hear her response.  
  
"He never used to drug me," Videl said, adverting her eyes so Gohan couldn't see her shame.  
  
"What?" the demi-Saiyajin asked, hoping that he had misheard.  
  
"After Mom died, Papa went away a lot. I was little, six or seven, when it started. Every time Papa went away, Billings would visit me every night. He told me that if I told anyone, he's kill me.  
  
"That's why I started to train. I thought that if I was strong enough, he wouldn't hurt me anymore. That's why I was obsessed with being stronger that Saiyaman before I knew it was you. If everybody knew that I was the strongest person in the city, no one would hurt me. But I guess being stronger just made Billings take a different approach." Videl broke down in sobs again.  
  
_**Well I guess she closed her eyes  
And just imagined everything's alright  
But she could not hide her tears  
'Cause they were sent to wash away those years  
They were sent to wash away those years  
  
**_Gohan sat rocking Videl in the middle of the kitchen floor. He heard a noise and looked up, finding his mother standing in the kitchen door. He gave Chi-Chi a look that said "I'll explain later." She nodded and turned, heading back up to bed.  
  
"It's okay Videl," Gohan murmured into her hair. "It's okay to cry." That just made Videl cry all the more. He kissed the top of her head. "I'm here. I'll always be here for you Videl."  
  
After almost an hour, Videl had cried herself to sleep in Gohan's arms. The young demi-Saiyajin readjusted his hold on her so he could pick her up. He got his feet under himself and stood gracefully. He felt pins and needles in his feet and legs from sitting in one position for too long, but ignored them.  
  
Gohan carried Videl upstairs and to his room. His desk lamp was still on, but his window had been closed and his wet sheets had been replaced by dry ones. Videl's wet clothes were also gone.  
  
_Thanks Mom, _he silently thanked his mother.   
  
The sheets were turned down, so Gohan lay Videl down and pulled to covers up to her chin. After all, he didn't want her catching a chill.  
  
"Sleep well, Videl," Gohan said quietly, kissing her forehead. She turned slightly towards him, a frown on her face.  
  
"Don't leave me Gohan," Videl said sleepily. "I don't wanna be alone."  
  
"I was just going to clean-up downstairs and be right back up," he explained to her. "I'll be back up in less than five minutes. I promise."  
  
"Okay," Videl mumbled. "I'll be waiting."  
  
Gohan smiled as he extinguished his desk lamp on his way out the door. The demi-Saiyajin headed to the kitchen for the second time in as many hours. He quickly cleaned-up the tea and mugs and wrote his mother a note. On his was back to his room, he set the hastily written note on Chi-Chi's night stand, hoping that she would find it when she woke up in the morning.  
  
Gohan re-entered his room and smiled in spite of himself. Videl wasn't quite smiling, but she seemed content, hugging one of Gohan's pillows to her chest, her thumb close to her mouth. Gohan had never seen her look quite so angelic.  
  
_**My anger's violent  
But still I'm silent  
When tragedy strikes at home  
  
**_Gohan pulled the chair from his desk over to the side of his bed and sat there, watching Videl sleep. When she had hinted to him about what Billings had done, Gohan had been so angry. He probably would have left immediately to kill the man had Videl not needed him.   
  
And Gohan hadn't even hinted about his feeling to Videl. She wouldn't have tried to stop him, but she wouldn't have entirely condoned it either. He had barely been able to keep from powering up to Super Saiyajin. Gohan hadn't been that angry since Spoopavitch had almost killed Videl at the Tournament.   
  
Anyone who tried to hurt the angel that currently slept in his bed would sorely regret it. Most would fear her father, but Mr. Satan probably couldn't hurt a fly, let alone a person. Most wouldn't fear an overprotective boyfriend. But if they knew who had really killed Cell, they would fear him. They would fear for their lives.   
  
Gohan got out of his chair and returned it to its former position. The young man moved to sit on the edge of the bed, next to Videl. He brushed a piece of stray hair out of her face, and she stirred slightly. Gohan jerked his hand away, not wanting to wake her. Videl frowned, shifting back to her original position.   
  
Gohan sighed. It was obvious that his touched soothed Videl's troubled soul. He reached out and covered her small hands with his own large, calloused ones. Videl sighed in her sleep, smiling.  
  
_**I know this decadence   
Is shared by millions  
Remember you're not alone  
  
**_Suddenly, as if some switch had been flicked, Videl's face became troubled. She moaned quietly as she thrashed, trying to get away from whatever was troubling her. As suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Videl now lay stiff as a board, yet seeming to shrink away from Gohan. Her eyes were wide, but unfocused, not seeming to recognize Gohan. A whimper escaped her throat as she squeezed her eyes shut. She was shaking like the last leaf on a tree on a windy November day.   
  
"Videl, calmed down," Gohan ordered quietly. "It was only a dream. No one here is going to just you. I promise."  
  
Videl tentatively opened her eyes. She finally recognized Gohan and launched herself into his arms as she started to sob. Gohan held her as her tears soaked through is shirt.   
  
Finally, Videl calmed down enough to talk. "I wasn't dreaming, I was remembering," she told Gohan. "I was reliving it. It was horrible!" As Videl started to cry again, Gohan just held her, smoothing down her hair, and wishing that he could take her pain away.   
  
"It's okay now," he murmured into her hair. "You're not alone. I'm here. I'm here. I won't leave you. Scholar's honor," he said, trying to get her to laugh, or to at least smile. His heart soared when he heard a muffled, dry chuckle.   
  
Videl pulled away from Gohan enough so she could look him in the eye, but not enough that his arms didn't still encircle her.  
  
"Don't leave me," she whispered, pleading. "I don't want to be alone."  
  
Gohan looked her right in the eye, seeming to see straight to her shattered soul. "I _**couldn't **_dream of leaving you alone," he told her sincerely. He kissed her gently, then leaned his forehead against hers so that their noses were almost touching. "I love you, and I hate it when you're hurting."  
  
Videl opened her eyes and looked at Gohan, moving only her eyes. "I love you too," she said gently, but knowing that he would hear her. She pulled away slightly from him so she could look at him head on. "Thank you for letting me stay here."   
  
"Under different circumstances, I would enjoy this," Gohan said. Videl seemed like she was about to burst into tears again so Gohan kept talking. "Anyways," he glanced at his clock, "it's past the time when all good little boys and girls should be asleep."  
  
"Stay with me?" Videl asked, pleading with her eyes. Gohan crumbled inside and couldn't say no when she gave him that look. Videl knew this and lay down, facing away from him. She moved over as close to the edge as she dared. Gohan slipped under the covers and wrapped his arm around Videl's waist.  
  
Videl squirmed in his embrace, turning over to face Gohan. She smiled, then snuggled into Gohan's chest, his arm tightening around her waist. She yawned into his chest as he kissed the top of her head.  
  
"G'night, Gohan," she mumbled sleepily.  
  
"Good night, angel."  
  
_**Well I guess she closed her eyes  
And just imagined everything's alright  
But she could not hide her tears  
'Cause they were sent to wash away those years  
They were sent to wash away those years  
  
**_ ~*~  
  
Note: I know Videl was OOC, but wouldn't you be if you were in her shoes? Anyways, if anyone is interested, I'm putting up one of my DBZ AU fics up for adoption. If you want to adopted it, please see my bio and follow the instructions there. Thanks! And remember to review!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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	2. A New Beginning

Disclaimer: Same as before.   
  
Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who answered my questions! I really appreciate it! Thanks again! Anyways, this is just my take on a subject I don't think many people have done. So don't flame me for trying!  
  
~*~  
  
_Beep...beep...beep...beep...beep...beep...beep..._  
  
The alarm clock exploded in a ball of light after Gohan threw a small ki blast at it. The young demi-Saiyajin opened his eyes, fully prepared to close them against an onslaught of light. What he saw, though, wasn't the glare of the sun, but a head of messy black hair.   
  
Gohan closed his eyes with a sigh as the previous night's events cam rushing back. He hadn't even noticed that Videl was snuggled into his chest until he saw her. He was so comfortable like that that he hadn't even realized she was there. It was just so natural.  
  
Gohan groaned, not wanting to get up because when he did, he couldn't be this close to Videl. He buried his face in her hair, trying to will himself to sleep. He had almost succeeded when his door burst open and Goten came rushing in. The holy terror leaped from five feet away and landed right on Gohan and Videl.   
  
Videl screamed and kicked at Goten blindly. Goten, stunned to immobility by this turn of events, was flung to the floor. The eleven year old sat flat on his rump in the middle of the floor as Videl sat bolt upright, looking like she didn't know where she was. Her eyes landed on Goten and she scrambled out of the bed and over to him.   
  
Videl hugged Goten tight. "I'm so sorry," she apologized. "You just scared me. That's all. I really didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so, _so_, **_ so_** sorry!" She let go of the boy.   
  
"Aww, you couldn't hurt me Videl," Goten told her, scratching the back of his head and flashing the famous Son smile. "You just caught me off guard with a move like that. I barely even felt it."  
  
"Goten, why are you in here?" Gohan asked his brother bluntly. Videl glared at him for his rudeness, but he ignored her.   
  
"Mom wanted me to get you guys for breakfast," Goten told him. "Pancakes, French toast, and waffles." His eyes glazed over and he started to drool. Videl looked worriedly at Gohan, who only shrugged. Videl looked back to Goten, who hadn't moved at all. She waved a hand in front of his face, snapped in his face, and even slapped him, to no avail.   
  
Then, an idea stuck her. She got up off the floor and moved to sit on the bed next to Gohan. "Goten, breakfast," she said, and even before the last word was completely out of her mouth, Goten was gone in a cloud of dust, headed for the kitchen.  
  
Gohan laughed at his little brother's antics. He slipped off his bed, the hardwood floor cold on his bare feet, and offered his arm to Videl. "Care to join me for breakfast, milady?" his asked gallantly.  
  
"Why, dear sir, I would be honored," Videl answered, smiling. She stood and slipped her arm through Gohan's. The couple walked down to the kitchen, arm-in-arm. Chi-Chi looked up when she heard the two enter and smiled, knowing that grandchildren would be coming soon. She sighed dreamily, visions of grandchildren dancing through her head.  
  
Breakfast went by normally. Gohan and Goten each ate enough for a small army, Videl had two plates, and Chi-Chi had one plate. When Chi-Chi got up to take care of the dishes, Videl got up also and helped her. While the women washed dishes, the two Son boys went to change and get ready for the day.  
  
When they came back down to the kitchen, Chi-Chi turned to her youngest son. "Goten, why don't you take Nimbus and go to Trunks' for the day? I'll call Bulma and let her know that you're coming."  
  
"Cool!" he exclaimed. "Thanks Mom!" The energetic demi-Saiyajin rushed our of the house, called Nimbus, and was off.  
  
"I'm going to call Bulma, and then you two can explain to me what happened last night," Chi-Chi told Gohan and Videl. "I'll be just a minute." She went to the living room to use the phone in there.  
  
Videl returned to the table and sat in a chair next to Gohan. Gohan took her left hand in his right and stared at their entwined fingers. Or, more specifically, at Videl's bare, third finger.  
  
Chi-Chi returned all too soon it seemed to Gohan. She sat down across from her son. "Well, I've arranged for Goten to be gone until tomorrow afternoon." She shifted her gaze to Videl. "Now, I'm not trying to pry or be rude, but why did you show up at my house in the middle of the night?"  
  
Videl looked to Gohan for support. He nodded and squeezed her hand, silently telling her it was okay. Videl turned back to Chi-Chi, took a deep breath, and told her what she had told Gohan the night before. Tears streamed down her face the entire time, but she didn't break down once until she was done with her story.  
  
When Videl finished, Chi-Chi just sat there, shell-shocked. When she had regained her wits, she moved around the table quickly and embraced Videl. The sobbing girl cried all the more at the tenderness evident in Chi-Chi's eyes. When Videl quieted, Chi-Chi finally spoke up.  
  
"Videl, honey, have you told the police yet?" Chi-Chi asked. The young woman shook her head "no". "Come on then," Chi-Chi said, standing up. "We're taking you to the hospital to get checked out. And you're going to talk to the police about this."  
  
Videl nodded numbly. Chi-Chi took off her apron and hung it on a chair. She then grabbed her purse and keys and headed out the door. Videl and Gohan followed her. Videl was shivering, so Gohan grabbed her a jacket out of the closet. The demi-Saiyajin, shut and locked the door behind him and put his arm around Videl, leading her to the car.  
  
The car ride into the city was quiet. The only sounds heard were the engine and the tires on wet pavement. Gohan sat in the back, his arm wrapped around the shivering Videl. After ten minutes, Videl was lulled to sleep by the rhythmic sounds coming from the car.   
  
Chi-Chi concentrated on the road, but occasionally stole glances in the rear-view mirror at Gohan and Videl. Gohan's head rested against Videl's, his eyes closed. Chi-Chi sighed as her mind began to wander.  
  
_I know Gohan's thought about asking Videl to marry him, _Chi-Chi thought. _He talked to Mr. Satan before he left on his tour. And we talked about it last weekend. I was going to help him pick out the ring today. I hope that this whole deal doesn't make him change his mind.  
  
_She glanced back at her son and Videl again. They were sleeping peacefully in each other's arms. Gohan was smiling contentedly and Videl's face looked untroubled.  
  
_No, he hasn't changed his mind, _Chi-Chi thought. _He just might ask her sooner than planned though. Videl might have to pick out her own engagement ring. _Chi-Chi smiled, knowing that she would have a daughter-in-law within a year.  
  
After an eternity, they finally reached the Satan City Hospital. Chi-Chi parked as close as she could to the emergency entrance. She turned around in her seat, intending to wake up Gohan and Videl, but almost couldn't. They seemed so peaceful. She hated to bring them back to harsh reality. She gently shook Gohan, hoping he'd wake up. Gohan moaned and groggily opened his eyes, to find his mother staring at him.  
  
"We're at the hospital," she told him in a whisper. "Could you wake up Videl?" Chi-Chi turned back around in her seat, pulled the keys from the ignition, and got out of the car.  
  
Gohan turned slightly and gently shook Videl awake. She looked around groggily and Gohan informed her that they had reached their destination. She nodded while opening her door and pulled herself out of the car. Gohan followed and encapsulated the car, handing it to his mother. She stuck it in her purse.   
  
Videl was still in Chi-Chi's pants and Gohan's sweatshirt. She looked like a little girl playing dress-up as she trudged across the parking lot towards the emergency entrance. Gohan easily caught up with her and she slipped her arm through his, clinging to him like a child would.  
  
Videl looked up at Gohan, her violet eyes fearful. "Gohan, I'm scared."  
  
Gohan didn't need to ask what she was afraid of. He knew. She was afraid of the shame, afraid of having some disease, but most of all, she was afraid that Billings got away and would do this to other girls.  
  
Once inside, Chi-Chi took care of all of the paperwork. When the nurse finally called Videl's name, Gohan wanted to go with her, but the nurse stopped him.  
  
"I think you should stay our here," she told him. "This is a very embarrassing and shameful incident. We have to ask some very personal questions and perform Some tests I'm sure your wife wouldn't want you to see." She turned on her heel and headed toward Videl's room.  
  
But Gohan stood rooted to his spot. "Wife?" he mumbled quietly. The nurse thought that they were married? That just convinced him that his decision was right.  
  
Chi-Chi's hand on his arm brought him out of his reverie. "C'mon," she said, gently tugging on his arm, "let's sit down and wait, okay?" Gohan nodded and followed his mother to two empty chairs and sat down next to her. He laid his head on her shoulder like he used to when he was little, and she stroked his hair until he fell into the deep abyss of sleep.  
  
Almost two hours later, Chi-Chi shook her son awake. "You can go in and see Videl now," she told him. He jumped out of the hard chair, but when Chi-Chi remained seated, he turned to her.  
  
"Well, aren't you coming?" he asked, bewilderment evident in his voice.  
  
She shook her head. "The doctor already talked to me, but Videl wanted to tell you alone. You go. I told Videl that I'd call her father."  
  
Gohan knew something was wrong if Videl wanted her father contacted. He rushed down the halls to Videl's room. He knocked softly before sticking his head in the door. He surveyed the room quickly. There was no other door, no window, and one bed, occupied by Videl. Videl herself was hooked up to and IV and some other monitor. Her chin-length hair had been pulled into a half-ponytail and she was wearing a hospital gown and covered with a thin blanket. There were tear tracks all down her cheeks.  
  
Videl motioned Gohan in and he pulled a chair over to her bedside. He took her hand in his and looked into her eyes.   
  
Videl saw the question in his eyes and countenance. She closed her eyes, hoping to stop the flood she knew was coming, but failed. She finally gave up and looked a Gohan through teary eyes.  
  
"I'm pregnant," she said quietly, but knowing that he'd hear her.  
  
It took a moment, but what Videl had said finally registered in Gohan's mind. His eyes became as wide as saucers before narrowing in anger. He pulled his hand away from Videl and stood up so fast that his chair flipped over.  
  
"Why that..." Gohan began angrily. "I'll kill him! I'll--"  
  
"No!" Videl's outburst quieted Gohan. "Gohan, sit down." When he had complied, Videl continued, "You're not going to kill anyone. The police already have Billings in custody. He's already been charged with rape. He's going to jail for a long, long time. Killing him won't change anything. I'll still be scarred for life and pregnant."  
  
Gohan looked up at Videl guiltily. He had been put in his place, and they both knew it. He took Videl's hand again.  
  
"So I guess my first child won't even be mine," Gohan said. It was Videl's turn for her eyes to be like saucers. "I know this isn't the best time to ask, but I don't think that I can wait any longer." He slipped off his chair and onto his knees, still holding Videl's hand. "Videl, would you consent to be my wife?" He pulled in a breath and waited.   
  
Videl stared down at Gohan, but couldn't summon her voice. Gohan seemed to be getting more and more nervous with each and every passing second.  
  
Videl finally managed to croak out, "Get up." When Gohan had settled back in his chair, Videl continued, "It wouldn't do it you had a cold at our wedding."   
  
Gohan's face erupted into a goofy grin. He moved to sit on the edge of Videl's bed and embraced her. Suddenly, there was a commotion from out in the hall behind them. The newly engaged couple turned to look. Chi-Chi was out in the hall, dancing with Videl's doctor, while caroling, "I'm gonna be a grandma! I'm son's getting married!" Gohan and Videl laughed at Chi-Chi's exuberance.  
  
Gohan turned to look at Videl. "I don't have a ring yet, but we'll get you one as soon as you're outta here. You see, Mom and me were going to pick it out today."  
  
Videl laughed at Gohan's perky attitude, but sobered quickly. "Gohan, this is going to be tough," she told him. "Unless we get married soon, everybody's going to know that this baby is not yours."  
  
"We'll get married as soon as your dad gets back, which I have a feeling will be soon, " Gohan told her. "Mom was out calling him when I came in."  
  
"He'll know about all of this, but no one else will, okay?" videl asked. Gohan nodded. "It'll take at least two weeks to get everything together, but I think two weeks from today sounds like a beautiful date."  
  
Gohan agreed. June 17. It would be beautiful. "I'll go get the doctor so we can get outta here." He quickly kissed Videl and headed out the door. Once he was in the hall, Videl heard an enthusiastic "Woohoo!" from Gohan. She laughed in spite of herself.  
  
The two weeks before the wedding passed in a blur. The whole deal with Billings was settled quietly, out of court, and everyone had agreed to keep quiet about it. No one who didn't already know the baby's true parentage would know, except maybe the child, when he or she was old enough.  
  
Chi-Chi was great during this time. She had Videl's dress made with plenty of time to spare. She had also volunteered to make all the food, including the cake, and decorate.   
  
Soon, Videl was standing with her father in the doorway of the Son home. The ceremony was being held there, with Dende himself presiding. Videl peeked out the door to see the two dozen guests seated. She nodded to the string quartet, who started to play. Chi-Chi was escorted to her seat by Gohan, who took his place next to Dende. Marron and Goten walked down the aisle arm-in-arm. The eight-year old girl looked adorable in a plain peach dress, made by Chi-Chi, and Goten looked absolutely dashing in his tuxedo.   
  
The wedding march started, and Videl turned to her father. "Are you ready Daddy?"   
  
"No, but let's do it anyway," he told her, forcing a smile. The truth was, he would never be ready to marry off his only child. But she was ready, so he was going to carry out his part.  
  
Father and daughter walked out into the early evening sun. Everything had been set up so that Dende's back was to the sun and the effect was breathtaking. Mr. Satan escorted Videl down the aisle and kissed her cheek at the end of their short walk. He gave her hand to Gohan and moved to sit down next to Chi-Chi.  
  
The ceremony went beautifully and without a hitch. Goten remembered the rings, Marron never tripped on her high heels, and Chi-Chi didn't cry too loudly. The ceremony consisted only of vows, the exchanged of rings, and a short spiel from Dende.  
  
Finally, Dende announced, "I now pronounce you husband and wife." The kiss was short and tender. The newlyweds turned towards the crowd and Marron bent to arrange Videl's train so she wouldn't trip on it. Gohan and Videl walked down he aisle and to the waiting car that would take them to the reception at Capsule Corp. Marron slipped her arm through Goten's and they followed, getting in the same car. Dende just disappeared, presumably back to the lookout. Everyone else got in a vehicle and made their way to Capsule Corp.  
  
The reception was nothing but fantastic. The entire ballroom had been decorated with peach- and cream-colored flowers. The table settings were made up of fine china and silver. The dance floor had been roped off with cream-colored ribbon.  
  
Chi-Chi had outdone herself with the food. She had been cooking and baking for a week straight. She had filled up twenty buffet tables with home-made food. All the Saiyajins stared and drooled until they were given the go-ahead.  
  
Once dinner was done, the newlyweds had their dance. For the next song, they danced with their parents. The next song, Marron and Goten were called out, and Chi-Chi and Mr. Satan danced together. Finally, the dance floor was opened to everyone.  
  
Once the evening was over, Gohan and Videl said their good-byes. Gohan scooped his new bride into his arms and flew off to an undisclosed place for their honeymoon.  
  
Chi-Chi watched them go, teary eyed. She sighed dreamily and clasped her hands together. "I'll have grandchildren soon," she murmured dreamily.  
  
"Ahem," Bulma called out loudly. "The night is still young! Let's keep this party going!"  
  
As the party continued at Capsule Corp, another celebration started, far away: a celebration of a new life together and of a new life that would enter the world soon. It was a celebration of a new beginning.  
  
~*~  
  
Author's Notes: Please don't flame me! Fire scares me! I don't think I'm done with this story yet, I have the idea for another chapter in my head. All I have to do is get it down on cyberpaper. I might have it done by the end of the week, but I make no promises. Okay now, please review!  
  



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